


Crybaby (A Reprise)

by I May Age Regress (shnuffeluv)



Category: Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Gen, High School, Non-Sexual Age Play, Suicidal Thoughts, Teddy Bears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 02:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17634497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/I%20May%20Age%20Regress
Summary: Heather McNamara has never had a good grip on her emotions, but that day it came out in the worst of ways.





	Crybaby (A Reprise)

Heather McNamara was never known to stand up for herself much. As much as she may have wanted to, the words always got caught in her throat. She was too busy worrying about how others might see her, how others would react, how she would be treated to worry about how she felt. As a result, her emotions often came to the surface at the worst possible moments.

Now was one such time. She bore her soul in front of the school, only to have Heather Duke mock her relentlessly. She was sick and tired of everything. Her eyes welled up with tears as Heather tore her down, smaller and smaller until she felt like she was a little bug about to be crushed underneath someone's shoe. When Heather noticed her tears, she laughed. The sound was harsh and cruel and a few other students joined in as she fled the gymnasium and stumbled into the nearest bathroom, willing herself to be able to open the bottle of pills that would let her forget all her problems and slip into nothingness forever.

She struggled with the cap a few moments before she threw the bottle on the ground in frustration. She couldn't even kill herself right. Burying her head in her knees she sobbed her heart out, sinking to the dirty bathroom tile. The bathroom door burst open, and a panicked voice asked, "Heather?!"

A sob was wrenched from her throat, and footsteps approached her. "Heather, are you okay?"

That was Veronica's voice. Heather looked up just long enough to shake her head, before she burst into tears again and cried into her knees, her socks growing damp at the tops around her knees.

"Oh, Heather..." Veronica said, trailing off. "It's gonna be okay. It's senior year, in less than a few months you'll be past this place and everyone in it."

Heather sniffled and shook her head. Veronica sighed and sat next to her. "You don't want to be just another statistic in USA Today, Heather. You can be so much more."

Veronica sounded so sincere, Heather didn't know how to explain that she could never amount to anything. Her emotions had gotten the better of her again and she wound up feeling like a little kid, again. She hated feeling like this; but as much as she hated it she could never bring herself to stop. She shuddered and shook and let her tears trickle off, and only then did she dare lift her head. Veronica was still there, on the floor, watching her. "Do you feel better?" Veronica asked softly.

Heather nodded. "Mhm."

"Well, that's good, at least. My wack-job of an ex may be set to terrorize the entire town, but you're at least a little calmer. If you can stand up, I can take you home so you can rest?" Veronica offered.

Heather considered, worrying her lip, messing up her make-up, but she was a little preoccupied at the moment. She wanted to go home with Veronica, just let herself believe that everything would be all right, if only for the night. She could use that reassurance. But...at the same time...if Veronica realized what was going on, she might leave Heather alone, and then she'd be without any friends at all.

"Come on, Heather. It'll be okay," Veronica said, rubbing Heather's shoulder.

Heather bit her thumbnail, looking at the ground. "No, it won't," she mumbled. "Never is."

Veronica sighed, and her eyes looked so sad, but also haunted. Like she had seen too many people die to let someone else kill themselves in front of her. Heather didn't want to consider what that might mean. She just wanted a nap. "I promise life can be more than this," Veronica said. "You have to trust me, just for a bit. High school will be over soon enough, and you can do whatever you like with your life then."

Heather picked up her bottle of pills from the floor, then looked at Veronica. She didn't know what to believe.

Veronica held her hand out. "Give me the pills, and we can figure out this mess together, all right?"

Heather knew this was a bad idea. She knew the second she gave Veronica the pills she could never get them back. And yet, something in her was telling her to do it. To listen to Veronica, to listen to her friend, and let her friend into her world, just for the night.

Slowly, Heather handed over the bottle. Veronica took it and stood, offering Heather a hand, which she gladly took. "Don't worry about the others, okay?" Veronica asked. "They may be jerks, but they won't bother us if we hold our heads high as we head out. Did you drive here today?"

Heather nodded. Veronica mirrored the nod. "Then we can take your car back to your house. Will your parents be home?"

No, they rarely, if ever, were. Dad was always doing something more important, and Mom was always visiting family or friends. She shook her head.

Veronica nodded sadly, brows furrowing in sympathy. "Come on, let's go to your house."

Heather followed Veronica through the hallways, out to her car. She passed Veronica the keys, knowing she didn't trust herself to drive right now. Veronica silently took them and drove them both home, keeping the radio on to fill the silence of the car.

When they got to Heather's place, she almost wanted to cry again. It was old, and cold, and uninviting. She didn't want to be here on her own, and she doubted Veronica would want to stay.

But then Veronica gently took her hand and lead her to the door, and the two were going inside. Heather rubbed at her eyes, which no doubt were red-rimmed and puffy. She was kinda hungry, but way tired. She kept hold of Veronica's hand and led her to the bedroom. Veronica looked around it and gawked a little. Heather didn't blame her. There was a canopy over the bed, pillows and soft things everywhere, and not one photo of anyone from school in sight. "I like your room, Heather," Veronica said.

"Really?" Heather asked softly.

Veronica nodded. "It feels like you."

Heather smiled softly. It was a reflection of her, to an extent. The real her, not the front she put up at school. She sat on her bed and grabbed her teddy bear, the one thing she had held onto through all of her childhood.

"Nice bear," Veronica said. "Boy or girl?"

"Girl," Heather said softly. "Her name is Kelly."

Veronica smiled and Heather smiled back, nervous but feeling something settle in her chest. "Do you want to just sit for a little bit?" Veronica asked. "You don't have to talk, if you don't want to, but I'll be here if that's something you need."

Heather nodded and Veronica sat next to her on her bed. "I'm tired. Of everything," she whispered into the still air.

Veronica sighed. "Yeah. I know the feeling."

Heather rested her head on Veronica's shoulder. "Why couldn't things be simpler again?"

"Who says they can't be?" Veronica asked, wrapping an arm around Heather's thin shoulders.

Heather felt a few final tears slip out. "Pretty much everyone else I've ever met."

Veronica hummed. "Yeah," she murmured. "Most people like to make things complicated."

Heather glanced at Veronica. "You don't?"

"No," Veronica said. "I try not to."

Heather smiled and let her eyes close. "I like you, Veronica," she said softly. "You're a real friend."

Veronica gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Thanks, Heather. That means a lot."

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: According to AO3, this is my 200th work on the site. I think that's pretty cool. =P


End file.
